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Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for January

  • Seminar in Biomedical Engineering

    Mon, Jan 12, 2015 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM

    Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Keyue Shen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, USC BME

    Talk Title: Engineering Cell Microenvironments for Cancer Therapeutics

    Biography: http://bme.usc.edu/directory/faculty/core-faculty/keyue-shen/

    Host: Stanley Yamashiro

    Location: OHE 122

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta

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  • Epstein Institute / ISE 651 Seminar Series

    Tue, Jan 13, 2015 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Shinyi Wu, Associate Professor, USC School of Social Work and Joint Appointment, Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Talk Title: An Engineer-Led Clinical Trial to Harness Technology to Facilitate Evidence-Based Depression Care-Management

    Series: Epstein Institute Seminar Series

    Abstract: The rapid growth in the use of telecommunication technologies can reduce disparities and amplify the humanity of the health care system. Clinical and social work research and practice increasingly show promise of care-management for reducing disparities in depression care. In this talk, Dr. Shinyi Wu will describe her engineer-designed clinical trial that exploits telecommunication technologies to facilitate adoption of evidence-based collaborative depression care in safety net clinics. This Diabetes-Depression Care-management Adoption Trial (DCAT) tests an automated telephonic assessment and web-based provider notification system (ATA) tethered to diabetes patient registry system to expand the capacity of the diabetes care team for depression care management. The system aims to shift the burden of routine work to machines and frees up providers to deliver effective, efficient, and compassionate care to those most in need. The technology was tested in a quasi-experimental comparative-effectiveness trial with 1406 diabetes patients in a large public safety-net care system serving primarily minority patients. The comparisons included a usual care group, a care-management group, and a care-management with technology group. Properties of the care-management technology were evaluated and patient and provider user experiences were assessed. Generalized linear and logistic regression analyses with propensity score methods were conducted to compare group effectiveness on patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness of the 3 care models. This study serves as a roadmap for engineers interested in conducting clinical trials to test health technology.

    Biography: Shinyi Wu (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison) is an Associate Professor in the USC School of Social Work with a joint appointment in the Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. She serves as the Associate Director of Social and Health Services Research in the USC Roybal Institute on Aging. Applying her engineering background, her work has focused on ways to improve quality and cost-effectiveness of health services and population health, especially for patients with chronic illnesses, the elderly, and disadvantaged populations. Dr. Wu was the principal investigator of the DCAT trial to improve care for patients with concurrent diabetes and depression. Currently she is leading another trial to study mobile technology and aging, titled "Intergenerational Mobile Technology Opportunities Program" (IMTOP). Her other current work involves testing interventions to reduce health care disparities, including an NIH study to develop and evaluate a mobile health technological approach to implement care management for underserved stroke patients, and a PCORI study to test a promotora (community healthcare worker) intervention for patients with multiple chronic illnesses and depression.

    Prior to joining USC, she was a researcher at RAND, where she also co-directed the NIA-funded Roybal Center for Health Policy Simulation. She was honored as an outstanding researcher by RAND for her contributions to improving health policy and decision-making.

    Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    More Information: Seminar-Wu.docx

    Location: Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center (GER) - 206

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Georgia Lum

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  • CS Colloquium: Vishal Misra (Columbia University) - The Network Neutrality Debate: An Engineering Perspective

    CS Colloquium: Vishal Misra (Columbia University) - The Network Neutrality Debate: An Engineering Perspective

    Tue, Jan 13, 2015 @ 04:00 PM - 05:15 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Vishal Misra , Columbia University

    Talk Title: The Network Neutrality Debate: An Engineering Perspective

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: The issue of Network Neutrality has ignited considerable public debate recently. While the term and much of the discussion originated in the legal community, we started looking at it from an engineering and networking perspective a few years ago. We employed the lens of cooperative game theory and a careful modeling of the Internet including the topology, peering relationships and protocols used on the Internet. Our primary conclusion is that Network Neutrality as an issue is secondary to that of the real problem, that of lack of market competition amongst broadband providers. We present some of our results including our prediction back in 2008 of a rise in paid peering (this year Netflix signed paid peering arrangements with all 4 of the top broadband providers in the US), the inadequacies of strict Network Neutrality regulation when competition exists and our proposal of a Public Option ISP that solves the problems of a "non neutral network" without needing any regulatory support. We also discuss some open issues regarding Network Neutrality in the wireless context.

    This Lecture will be available to stream HERE. (please right-click to load in a separate tab for optimal performance).

    Biography: Vishal Misra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Columbia University. His research emphasis is on mathematical modeling of networking systems, bridging the gap between practice and analysis. He served as the Vice-Chair of the Computer Science Department at Columbia University from 2009 to 2011, and in 2011 he spun out Infinio, a company in the area of datacenter storage. The company is based in Kendall Square and employs more than 50 people. He is also credited with inventing live-microblogging at Cricinfo, a company he co-founded while a graduate student at UMass Amherst, predating Twitter by 10 years. Cricinfo was later acquired by ESPN and is still the world’s most popular sports portal.

    Host: CS Networked Systems Laboratory

    Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • AI Seminar: General Methods for Causal Discovery

    AI Seminar: General Methods for Causal Discovery

    Wed, Jan 14, 2015 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Information Sciences Institute

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Frederick Eberhardt, Caltech, Professor of Philosophy at Caltech

    Talk Title: General Methods for Causal Discovery

    Series: AISeminar

    Abstract: This talk will consist of two parts, both concerned with causal discovery. In the first part I will describe some methods we have developed to perform causal inference with very weak background assumptions. The problem of causal discovery is converted into a constraint optimization problem that is then solved using maxSAT solvers. This general framework allows for the inclusion of very general background knowledge and only requires extremely weak model space assumptions. We show in simulations that for the restricted domains in which an exact Bayesian computation can be performed, our methods achieve an accuracy very close to that of the exact Bayesian computation. For more general domains, no competing method exists. In the second part, I will describe some very recent research we have done on extracting causes of behavior from images. This research addresses the more general question of how causal macro-variables can be constructed from micro-variables (pixel data, in our case). We hope that our account can lay the groundwork for a more general approach to automated causal analysis of images and video data.

    Here are the relevant papers:
    First part: http://people.hss.caltech.edu/~fde/papers/HEJ_UAI2014.pdf
    Second part: http://arxiv.org/abs/1412.2309




    Biography: Frederick Eberhardt is Professor of Philosophy at Caltech. He is primarily interested in methods for causal discovery from statistical data, the use of experiments in causal discovery, the integration of causal inferences from different data sets and the philosophical issues at the foundations of causality and probability. His research focuses both on how methods of causal discovery can be constructed and on how humans and animals in fact learn about causal relations. Before joining Caltech in 2013, he was assistant professor in the philosophy-neuroscience-psychology program at Washington University in St Louis. He got his PhD from Carnegie Mellon in 2007 and was a postdoc in psychology at UC Berkeley until 2009.

    Host: Kun Zhang

    Webcast: http://webcasterms1.isi.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=44b5327011024c03bc46967a538adc9d1d

    Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - 1135

    WebCast Link: http://webcasterms1.isi.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=44b5327011024c03bc46967a538adc9d1d

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Alma Nava / Information Sciences Institute

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  • W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium

    Fri, Jan 16, 2015 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM

    USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Ashish Soni, Founding Director of the Viterbi Startup Garage

    Talk Title: Starting a Technology Venture: Keys to Success

    Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Jeffrey Teng

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  • NL Seminar-Towards the Interpretation of Metaphoric Language

    Fri, Jan 16, 2015 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM

    Information Sciences Institute

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Jonathan Gordon, USC/ISI

    Talk Title: Towards the Interpretation of Metaphoric Language

    Series: Natural Language Seminar

    Abstract: Understanding what people mean when they use metaphoric language is a central problem in natural language understanding. Metaphors give a partial understanding of one kind of experience in terms of another, highlighting similarities and hiding differences. In this talk, I give an overview of the problems posed by metaphoric language. I then describe ongoing crosslinguistic work on the knowledge-based interpretation of metaphors by abductive inference. This work moves us toward a better understanding not only of what people are saying with metaphors but also how the metaphors used by groups of people (e.g., the supporters and opponents of gun control) expose their different world views.


    Biography: Jonathan Gordon is a postdoctoral researcher at the USC Information Sciences Institute, where he is advised by Jerry Hobbs. His 2014 doctoral dissertation, 'Inferential Commonsense Knowledge from Text', was supervised by Lenhart Schubert at the University of Rochester. Jonathan's research interests include natural language understanding, semantics, and knowledge extraction

    Host: Aliya Deri and Kevin Knight

    More Info: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/

    Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - 11th Flr Conf Rm # 1135, Marina Del Rey

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Peter Zamar

    Event Link: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/

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  • Seminar in Biomedical Engineering

    Mon, Jan 19, 2015 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM

    Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Talk Title: MLK HOLIDAY (NO CLASS)

    Host: Stanley Yamashiro

    Location: OHE 122

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta

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  • CS Colloquium: Michael Reiter (UNC) - Side Channels in Multi Tenant Environments

    Tue, Jan 20, 2015 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Michael Reiter, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Talk Title: Side Channels in Multi Tenant Environments

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: With the growth of cloud computing, the security provided by public clouds to their tenants is increasingly being scrutinized, in part because these clouds arrange for mutually distrustful tenants to simultaneously execute tasks on the same hardware. In this talk we explore a long-suspected but, to date, largely hypothetical attack vector in public clouds, namely 'side-channel attacks' in which one tenant might learn sensitive information about another tenant simply by running on the same hardware with it, but without violating the logical access control enforced by the cloud's isolation software (hypervisor or operating system). Specifically, we demonstrate the practicality of damaging cross-tenant side channel attacks on modern hypervisors and operating systems, including some that we have demonstrated on commercial public clouds. We will then describe various approaches we have developed to defend against side-channel attacks in cloud environments, both inexpensive defenses against our specific attacks and more holistic but expensive protections.

    Biography: Michael Reiter is the Lawrence M. Slifkin Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). He received the B.S. degree in mathematical sciences from UNC in 1989, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Cornell University in 1991 and 1993, respectively. He joined AT&T Bell Labs in 1993 and became a founding member of AT&T Labs - Research when NCR and Lucent Technologies (including Bell Labs) were split away from AT&T in 1996. He then returned to Bell Labs in 1998 as Director of Secure Systems Research. In 2001, he joined Carnegie Mellon University as a Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science, where he was also the founding Technical Director of CyLab. He joined the faculty at UNC in 2007.

    Dr. Reiter's research interests include all areas of computer and communications security and distributed computing. He regularly publishes and serves on conference organizing committees in these fields. He served as program chair for the the flagship computer security conferences of the IEEE, the ACM, and the Internet Society, and of the flagship dependability conference of the IEEE; as Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Information and System Security; and on the editorial boards of IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing, the International Journal of Information Security, and Communications of the ACM. He also served on the Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee for the United States Department of Commerce for four years.

    Dr. Reiter was named an ACM Fellow in 2008 and an IEEE Fellow in 2014.


    Host: Teamcore

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • 2015 Cornelius Pings Lecture

    2015 Cornelius Pings Lecture

    Wed, Jan 21, 2015 @ 11:15 AM - 12:50 PM

    Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Prof. Mary F. Wheeler, Director, Center for Subsurface Modeling at the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, UT Austin

    Talk Title: Fluid-lled Fracture Propagation Using Phase Field

    Series: Cornelius Pings Lecture

    Abstract: In this presentation, we discuss current research on fluid-filled fracture propagation using a phase-field diffusive zone algorithm and coupling to a reservoir simulator. Phase field modeling has been used for the past decade in modeling fractures in an elastic medium. Recently in collaboration with Andro Mikelic and Thomas Wick we extended this method to pressurized fractures in a poroelastic medium. This thermodynamically consistent approach captures several characteristic features of crack propagation such as joining, branching and non-planar propagation in heterogeneous porous media as well as fracture width evolution and fracture-length propagation. Here we also describe a technique for coupling phase-field to a fractured poroelastic reservoir simulator. We present two and three-dimensional numerical tests to benchmark, compare and demonstrate the predictive capabilities of the fracture propagation model as well as the proposed coupling scheme.

    Biography: Mary Fanett Wheeler was born in 1938 in Cuero, Texas, near San Antonio. She had always been interested in mathematics and took a course in it 'just for fun'. She ended up with enough courses to graduate in mathematics as well." Mary Wheeler earned a double major in social sciences and mathematics in 1960 at the University of Texas. She received an M.A. from the University of Texas in 1963, and her Ph.D. (1971) from Rice University (when her daughter was 3 years old.) Her Ph.D. thesis was on "A Priori L2 Error Estimates for Galerkin Approximations to Parabolic Partial Differential Equations". She began teaching at Rice University in 1971, rising through the ranks until in 1988 she was appointed as Noah Harding Professor of Computational and Applied Mathematics (first woman to hold such a position at Rice.)

    Since 1995 she has held the Ernest and Virginia Cockrell Chair in Engineering in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Texas in Austin. She works on numerical solutions of partial differential equations, parallel computation, and modeling flow in porous media. She has written over 200 research papers and technical reports, and authored 7 books.

    More Information: USC Pings Lecture-Wheeler.pdf

    Location: Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library (DML) - DML 240

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Ryan Choi

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  • Communications, Networks & Systems (CommNetS) Seminar

    Wed, Jan 21, 2015 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Joel Zylberberg, University of Washington

    Talk Title: Signal and Noise in the Nervous System

    Series: CommNetS

    Abstract: The nervous system is a surprisingly noisy place. For example, if one presents the exact same stimulus to an animal many times, and records the activities of their sensory neurons, the responses of those neurons show high levels of trial-to-trial variability. Similar levels of variability are observed elsewhere in the nervous system. At the same time, we have the experience of having robust thoughts and perceptions. So how do our brains generate this robustness from systems of inherently unreliable components? In my talk, I will discuss my work on the retina, the visual cortex, and the hippocampus, each of which reveals strategies that the nervous system appears to use in solving this problem. Along the way, I'll highlight the implications of these results for other neuronal systems, and for the creation of biomimetic technologies. Importantly, I will assume no specialized knowledge on the part of the listener.

    Biography: During my undergraduate studies in Physics at Simon Fraser University (Canada), I published papers in inorganic chemistry, nuclear physics, and physics education, before receiving the B.Sc. degree in 2008. Supported by a Fulbright Science and Technology PhD fellowship, I then moved to UC Berkeley to pursue my PhD in Physics. I spent the first 2 years of my graduate training studying cosmology, before transitioning into neuroscience. My early work in neuroscience won me a student research fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which supported my final (4th) year of doctoral studies. I received my PhD from UC Berkeley in 2012, and then took up my current position as Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. In my research, I combine tools from information theory, physics, and computer science, to reveal the circuitry underlying the robust perception and memory functions of the nervous system.

    Host: Dr. Paul Bogdan and the Ming Hsieh Institute

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Annie Yu

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  • PhD Seminar

    Wed, Jan 21, 2015 @ 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Timu Gallien , Chancellor’s Fellow and postdoctoral scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

    Talk Title: Urban Coastal Flood Prediction: Implications of modeling methodology, infrastructure and coastal management

    Abstract: Globally, coastal flooding represents a significant humanitarian and socioeconomic hazard for urbanized communities. Accurate flood mapping is critical to quantifying evolving flood risk. However, flood maps are not rigorously validated to determine sensitivities and uncertainties relative to modeling methodology and infrastructure resolution. A two-dimensional Godunov type hydrodynamic model that solves a local Riemann problem to accommodate weir-like overflow is successfully applied to simulate tidal flooding. The shallow water model is then augmented with temporally variable empirical and numerical overtopping estimates to investigate wave overtopping flooding. Simulation results are compared to two unique validation datasets. Three critical issues in coastal flood prediction emerge; the effects of methodology (i.e. equilibrium vs. hydrodynamic), characterizing wave overtopping volumes and finally, resolving flood control infrastructure and mitigation measures. Hydrodynamic modeling methodologies integrating flood control infrastructure and overtopping processes significantly outperform traditional static flood mapping methods. Results show skilled flood predictions require substantially higher flood defense elevation accuracies, ~2 cm, than is currently associated with LiDAR topographic data (~15 cm). Finally, flood mitigation measures (e.g., elevating sea walls, storm drainage, beach management) have significant, and at times, unintended implications for backshore flooding.

    Biography: Dr. Timu Gallien is a Chancellor’s Fellow and postdoctoral scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from University of California, Irvine and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Agricultural Engineering from Purdue University. Dr. Gallien’s research focuses on quantifying evolving coastal flood risk from sea level rise, storm events, and urbanization. She uses a combination of high resolution fluid-mechanics based models to comprehensively resolve both key flooding processes (e.g., tide, waves, embayment amplification, drainage) and urban flood defense structures (e.g., sea walls, anthropogenic berming). Dr. Gallien conducts extensive nearshore field observations to advance coastal process knowledge and quantitatively evaluate model performance.

    Host: Katie Russo

    Location: Seeley Wintersmith Mudd Memorial Hall (of Philosophy) (MHP) - 106

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Kaela Berry

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  • Astani Civil and Environmental Engineering Ph.D. Seminar

    Wed, Jan 21, 2015 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Timu Gallien , Scripps Institution of Oceanography

    Talk Title: Urban Coastal Flood Prediction: Implications of modeling methodology, infrastructure and coastal management

    Abstract: Globally, coastal flooding represents a significant humanitarian and socioeconomic hazard for urbanized communities. Accurate flood mapping is critical to quantifying evolving flood risk. However, flood maps are not rigorously validated to determine sensitivities and uncertainties relative to modeling methodology and infrastructure resolution. A two-dimensional Godunov type hydrodynamic model that solves a local Riemann problem to accommodate weir-like overflow is successfully applied to simulate tidal flooding. The shallow water model is then augmented with temporally variable empirical and numerical overtopping estimates to investigate wave overtopping flooding. Simulation results are compared to two unique validation datasets. Three critical issues in coastal flood prediction emerge; the effects of methodology (i.e. equilibrium vs. hydrodynamic), characterizing wave overtopping volumes and finally, resolving flood control infrastructure and mitigation measures. Hydrodynamic modeling methodologies integrating flood control infrastructure and overtopping processes significantly outperform traditional static flood mapping methods. Results show skilled flood predictions require substantially higher flood defense elevation accuracies, ~2 cm, than is currently associated with LiDAR topographic data (~15 cm). Finally, flood mitigation measures (e.g., elevating sea walls, storm drainage, beach management) have significant, and at times, unintended implications for backshore flooding.





    Biography: Dr. Timu Gallien is a Chancellor’s Fellow and postdoctoral scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from University of California, Irvine and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Agricultural Engineering from Purdue University. Dr. Gallien’s research focuses on quantifying evolving coastal flood risk from sea level rise, storm events, and urbanization. She uses a combination of high resolution fluid-mechanics based models to comprehensively resolve both key flooding processes (e.g., tide, waves, embayment amplification, drainage) and urban flood defense structures (e.g., sea walls, anthropogenic berming). Dr. Gallien conducts extensive nearshore field observations to advance coastal process knowledge and quantitatively evaluate model performance.


    Location: Seeley Wintersmith Mudd Memorial Hall (of Philosophy) (MHP) - 106

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Evangeline Reyes

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  • Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series

    Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series

    Wed, Jan 21, 2015 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Ulrike K. Müller, Associate Professor, Department of Biology at California State University Fresno, Fresno, CA

    Talk Title: From 0 to 10 mph in 100 Microseconds - The Fluid Mechanics of Feeding Strikes in a Carnivorous Plant

    Series: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series

    Abstract: Fish capture prey by suction feeding-they quickly expand their mouth cavity to entrain prey in a suction flow. Current suction feeding models can explain fish, but not the small aquatic carnivorous plant bladderwort, who captures zooplankton in mechanically triggered underwater traps. With a mouth less than 0.5 mm wide, these traps are among the smallest known that work by suction-a mechanism that would not be effective in the creeping-flow regime. To understand what makes suction feeding possible on this small scale, we compare analytical flow models with experimentally observed flows, recorded at frames rates of up to 50 000 Hz. We found maximum flow speeds of 5 m/s (similar to those in adult fish) and extreme accelerations of up to 40 000 m/s2. Complete within 0.5 milliseconds, the bladderwort feeding strike outpaces the development of a boundary layer, creating a fast and efficient inward jet.

    Biography: Ulrike Müller is an Associate Professor in Biology at California State University Fresno. She earned a PhD in Marine Biology from Gröningen University, Netherlands. She has conducted research in the labs of R McN Alexander (Leeds University, UK), W Nachtigall (Saarbrücken University, Germany), CP Ellington (Cambridge University, UK), JL van Leeuwen (Wageningen University, Netherlands) and Hao Liu (Chiba University, Japan) and has published work in Nature and Science. Her research interests center around bio fluid dynamics and range from swimming to suction feeding, studying fish, insects, and carnivorous plants. She is an associate editor at the Proceedings B of the Royal Society.

    Host: Eva Kanso

    Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Valerie Childress

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  • Communications, Networks & Systems (CommNetS) Seminar

    Wed, Jan 21, 2015 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Richard J. La, University of Maryland

    Talk Title: Convergence of a class of simple learning rules to pure-strategy Nash equilibria

    Series: CommNetS

    Abstract: Recently, there has been a growing interest in applying a game theoretic framework to various distributed engineering systems, including communication networks and distributed control systems.
    Oftentimes, Nash equilibria are taken as an approximation to the expected operating point of these systems. In this talk, we examine the convergence of a class of simple learning rules to pure-strategy Nash equilibria (PSNEs). First, we demonstrate that if all agents adopt a learning rule from this class, when there exists at least one PSNE, they converge to a PSNE almost surely even in the presence of heterogeneous or time-varying feedback or observation delays under mild conditions on the games, which we call generalized weakly acyclic games (GWAGs). Second, we show that GWAGs are the only games for which the learning rules are guaranteed to converge to a PSNE. In other words, for a non-GWAG, there is an initial condition, starting with which the learning rules do not converge to a PSNE. Finally, we consider the case where the agents do not correctly determine their payoffs and make errors in their decisions. We illustrate that, if the probability of making a mistake diminishes to zero arbitrarily slow, the probability that the strategy profile of the agents belongs to the set of PSNEs tends to one over time.
    This is a joint work with Siddharth Pal.

    Biography: Richard J. La received his B.S.E.E. from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1994 and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1997 and 2000, respectively. From 2000 to 2001 he was with the Mathematics of Communication Networks group at Motorola Inc,. Since 2001 he has been on the faculty of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland, where he is currently an Associate Professor.

    Host: Prof. Rahul Jain and the Ming Hsieh Institute

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Annie Yu

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  • MFD - Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Distinguished Lecture: Christopher Voigt (MIT)

    MFD - Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Distinguished Lecture: Christopher Voigt (MIT)

    Thu, Jan 22, 2015 @ 12:45 PM - 02:00 PM

    Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Christopher Voigt, MIT Dept. of Biological Engineering

    Talk Title: TBA

    Abstract: TBA

    Host: Prof. Wang

    Location: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 159

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Ryan Choi

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  • W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium

    Fri, Jan 23, 2015 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM

    USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Ashley Crowder, Co-Founder and CEO of VNTANA

    Talk Title: Engineering Entrepreneurship

    Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Jeffrey Teng

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  • NL Seminar- Understanding Analogies: Theory and Method

    Fri, Jan 23, 2015 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM

    Information Sciences Institute

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Devin Griffiths , USC/Dornsife

    Talk Title: Understanding Analogies: Theory and Method

    Series: Natural Language Seminar

    Abstract: Analogies allow us to make connections between different domains of knowledge and to apply what we already know to new situations. For this reason, they're important to developing new theories and new understandings of the social and natural world, and have often been seen as an important task for machine learning. In my talk, I'll explore how different theories of how analogy works shape the different approaches that research teams take when modeling analogical thinking. Specifically, I'll contrast what I term "formal" or "top-down" theories of analogy with a "serial" or "bottom-up" approach. Finally, I'll describe a syntactic and semantic method for searching out analogies within corpora. I'm convinced that understanding analogies better, and being able to find locate new analogies in historical documents, can help us understand where new ideas come from.



    Biography: Devin Griffiths is an assistant professor in the English Department at USC, where he studies nineteenth-century British literature and scientific history. His current book project, titled "Between the Darwins," explores how analogies were used in the nineteenth century to create new theories of evolution and social progress. His areas of research include science and literature, poetics, book history, and the digital humanities.

    Host: Aliya Deri and Kevin Knight

    More Info: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/

    Webcast: http://webcasterms1.isi.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=56439af4a5cb41f49a2c5faef5683cd11d

    Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - Conference Room # 689, Marina del Rey

    WebCast Link: http://webcasterms1.isi.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=56439af4a5cb41f49a2c5faef5683cd11d

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Peter Zamar

    Event Link: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/

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  • Repeating EventShort Course: Six Sigma Black Belt

    Mon, Jan 26, 2015

    Executive Education

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: TBA,

    Abstract:
    Week 1: January 26-30, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 2: March 2-6, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 3: April 6-10, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Six Sigma Black Belt teaches you the advanced problem-solving skills you will need in order to measure a process, analyze the results, develop process improvements and quantify the resulting savings. Project assignments between sessions require you to apply what you’ve learned. This course is presented in three five-day sessions over a three-month period.

    Register Now

    Host: Professional Programs

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    View All Dates

    Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs

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  • Seminar in Biomedical Engineering

    Mon, Jan 26, 2015 @ 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM

    Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Li Zhang, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Physiology & Biophysics Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute University of Southern California <

    Talk Title: Neural Circuits underlying Auditory Cortical Control of Innate Defense Behavior

    Abstract: Defense against environmental threats is essential for animal survival. Previous studies have been largely focused on the neural circuitry for learned defensive behaviors such as those in fear conditioning. However, innate defense circuits responsible for the transformation of unconditioned sensory stimuli, and in particular, the role of sensory cortices in generating defensive behaviors and its underlying neural pathways, remain largely elusive. I will talk about our efforts in dissecting the neural circuits that control the auditory-signal induced innate defense behavior, by combining optogenetic and electrophysiological approaches.

    Biography: http://keck.usc.edu/en/Research/Research_Institutes/Zilkha_Neurogenetic_Institute/Investigators.aspx

    Host: Stanley Yamashiro

    Location: OHE 122

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Mischalgrace Diasanta

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  • Repeating EventShort Course: Six Sigma Black Belt

    Tue, Jan 27, 2015

    Executive Education

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: TBA,

    Abstract:
    Week 1: January 26-30, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 2: March 2-6, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 3: April 6-10, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Six Sigma Black Belt teaches you the advanced problem-solving skills you will need in order to measure a process, analyze the results, develop process improvements and quantify the resulting savings. Project assignments between sessions require you to apply what you’ve learned. This course is presented in three five-day sessions over a three-month period.

    Register Now

    Host: Professional Programs

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    View All Dates

    Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs

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  • CS Colloquium: Dr. Chris Paredis (NSF) - A Theoretical Framework for Systems Engineering and Design - Asking "Why?" rather than just "How?"

    Tue, Jan 27, 2015 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Chris Paredis, National Science Foundation

    Talk Title: A Theoretical Framework for Systems Engineering and Design - Asking "Why?" rather than just "How"?

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: An important component of the Engineering and Systems Design (ESD) and Systems Science (SYS) programs at the National Science Foundation is the development of a theoretical foundation for systems engineering and design. In this presentation, I will motivate the need for a theoretical framework and explain what it is. As an example, a model for systems engineering and design will be introduced in which the artifact development process is modeled as a search process. Unlike many models in the literature, this model provides an explanation for (rather than just a description of) current practices. Related to the need for a theoretical framework is the need for rigorous research methodology. I will therefore present some thoughts on the desired characteristics of a rigorous research methodology for systems engineering and design. The presentation will end with some logistical details about the NSF programs and an opportunity for Q&A. The overall goal is to increase the success of principal investigators when submitting proposals to the ESD or SYS programs.

    Biography: Dr. Chris Paredis is Program Director for the Engineering and Systems Design (ESD) and Systems Science (SYS) programs at the National Science Foundation. He is also Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and in the H.M. Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA. He is a Woodruff Faculty Fellow and Director of the Model-Based System Engineering Center. He holds graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) and in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

    Dr. Paredis' research focuses on Model-Based Systems Engineering, combining aspects of decision theory, information technology, simulation, and systems theory to support the design of complex mechatronic systems. In these areas, he has published more than 140 refereed book chapters, journal articles and conference papers. He has made significant contributions to the development of the theory, methods and tools for decision making in design and systems engineering, and has developed several decision support tools using the SysML and Modelica languages. As Director of the Model-Based Systems Engineering Center, he leads a group of 11 faculty members towards the development of a next generation of systems engineering methods that are value-driven, model-based and human-centered.

    Within the Object Management Group (OMG), he served on the SysML Revision Task Force and has led the development of the SysML-Modelica Transformation Specification. He was a founding board member of the North America Modelica Users' Group, and served on the working group responsible for the INCOSE "Systems Engineering Vision 2025." He is also a member of the Technical Advisory Board for Integrated Model-Centric Engineering Program at NASA/JPL, is past Chair of the ASME Computers and Information in Engineering division, and has served as Conference Chair for the 2013 Conference on Systems Engineering Research (CSER'13) and the 2007 Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (CIE'07).
    Dr. Paredis has served as Associate Editor for the SAE Journal of Commercial Vehicles and the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design. He currently serves as co-Editor of the ASME book series, "Advances in Computers and Information in Engineering Research." He received the 2007 CETL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, the 2007 SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, and the 2011 ASME CIE Excellence in Research Award.

    Host: CSSE

    Location: Auditorium

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • Astani Civil and Enviromental Engineering Seminar

    Tue, Jan 27, 2015 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Elia Psillakis, Deputy Rector of Academic Affairs and Research at the Technical University of Crete.

    Talk Title: Environmental analytical chemistry: It is all about engineering

    Abstract:
    Single discipline research on critical environmental issues may encounter a bottle neck and more than one discipline is typically needed to make a breakthrough. Although interdisciplinary research often requires more resources of time, effort and imagination than single discipline research, the rewards can be substantial, in terms of advancing the knowledge base and helping to solve complex environmental problems.

    This seminar aims bridging two unexpectedly far disciplines such as environmental analytical chemistry and engineering. A highly pragmatic approach to providing the engineering principles behind the analytical steps performed daily in the laboratory is adopted. I will focus on sample preparation, an integral part of the analytical process with a profound influence on both the total time required to complete the analysis and the quality of the results obtained. I will summarize several of our investigations over the past year, which aims at the detection, and the identification of the fate of both emerging and persistent organic pollutants in different environmental samples. Through case studies, I will discuss the overarching issues and challenges we face and show that environmental analytical chemistry is a powerful tool for environmental engineers studying complex natural and engineered systems.






    Biography: Dr. Elia Psillakis is an Associate Professor at the School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Greece. She received her degree in Chemistry from the Universitè Montpellier II Sciences et Techniques du Languedoc in France in 1994 and her PhD from the University of Bristol, U.K., in 1997. In 2007, she was awarded a Fulbright research scholarship and spent it at Caltech. Her work focuses on monitoring and studying emerging and persistent hydrophobic organic contaminants in natural and engineered aquatic environments. To date her investigations have resulted into one patent and 68 publications in ISI Journals with more than 3700 citations, an ISI h-index=34, and three “Top cited article awards”. Dr. Elia Psillakis is the Deputy Rector of Academic Affairs and Research at the Technical University of Crete.


    Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Evangeline Reyes

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  • Epstein Institute / ISE 651 Seminar Series

    Tue, Jan 27, 2015 @ 03:30 PM - 04:50 PM

    Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Jorge Nocedal, David and Karen Sachs Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, Northwestern University

    Talk Title: Variance Reduction Optimization Methods for Machine Learning

    Series: Epstein Institute Seminar Series

    Abstract: The stochastic gradient method plays a central role in large-scale statistical learning, where vast amounts of data and high dimensional models are employed. This method is, however, difficult to tune and several variance reduction methods have been recently proposed to address this problem. After motivating these methods, I will propose a new variant that enjoys improved learning properties. Numerical results on problems arising in text classification, speech and image recognition will be presented.

    Biography:
    Jorge Nocedal is the David and Karen Sachs Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences at Northwestern University. He obtained a B.S. degree in physics from UNAM and a PhD in mathematical sciences from Rice University. His research interests are in optimization and its application in machine learning. He has served as the Editor in Chief of the SIAM Journal on Optimization, is a SIAM Fellow, and was awarded the 2012 George B. Danzig Prize.


    Host: Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

    More Information: Seminar-Nocedal-2.docx

    Location: Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center (GER) - 206

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Georgia Lum

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  • CS Colloquium Lecture Series: Rich Caruana (Microsoft Research) - Do Deep Nets Really Need To Be Deep?

    Tue, Jan 27, 2015 @ 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Rich Caruana , Microsoft Research

    Talk Title: Do Deep Nets Really Need To Be Deep?

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: Currently, deep neural networks are the state of the art on problems such as speech recognition and computer vision. By using a method called model compression, we show that shallow feed-forward nets can learn the complex functions previously learned by deep nets and achieve accuracies previously only achievable with deep models while using the same number of parameters as the original deep models. On the TIMIT phoneme recognition and CIFAR-10 image recognition tasks, shallow nets can be trained that perform similarly to complex, well-engineered, deeper convolutional architectures. The same model compression trick can also be used to compress impractically large deep models and ensembles of large deep models down to “medium-size” deep models that run more efficiently on servers, and down to “small” models that can run on mobile devices. In machine learning and statistics we used to believe that one of the keys to preventing overfitting was to keep models simple and the number of parameters small to force generalization. We no longer believe this --- learning appears to generalize best when training models with excess capacity, but the learned functions can often be represented with far fewer parameters.

    The lecture can be streamed HERE

    Host: Yan Liu

    Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • Repeating EventShort Course: Six Sigma Black Belt

    Wed, Jan 28, 2015

    Executive Education

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: TBA,

    Abstract:
    Week 1: January 26-30, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 2: March 2-6, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 3: April 6-10, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Six Sigma Black Belt teaches you the advanced problem-solving skills you will need in order to measure a process, analyze the results, develop process improvements and quantify the resulting savings. Project assignments between sessions require you to apply what you’ve learned. This course is presented in three five-day sessions over a three-month period.

    Register Now

    Host: Professional Programs

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    View All Dates

    Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs

    Add to Google CalendarDownload ICS File for OutlookDownload iCal File
  • Communications, Networks & Systems (CommNetS) Seminar

    Wed, Jan 28, 2015 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Nicola Elia, Iowa State University

    Talk Title: Computing over Unreliable Communication Networks

    Series: CommNetS

    Abstract: In this talk, we take the unifying view of systems interacting over communication networks as distributed computing systems and propose to study them as networked control systems. Since averaging is a central operation to much science and engineering, we first study the problem of distributed averaging over unreliable networks. We show that a popular and well-behaved algorithm can instead generate a collective global complex behavior when the inter-agent communication happens over unreliable links. We characterize this behavior, common to many natural and human-made interconnected systems, as a collective hyper-jump diffusion process and a Levy flight process in a special case. To mitigate the effects of the unreliable information exchange, we propose a new distributed averaging algorithm resilient to noise and intermittent communication. The algorithm and the control perspective are the basis for the development of new distributed optimization systems that we can analyze and design as networked control systems. The approach applies to multi-agent cooperative applications and opens up several directions of research.

    Biography: Nicola Elia is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University. He received the Laurea degree in Electrical Engineering from Politecnico di Torino in 1987, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1996. He worked at the Fiat Research Center from 1987 to 1990. He was Postdoctoral Associate at the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems at MIT from1996 to 1999. He has received the NSF CAREER Award in 2001. His research interests include networked control systems, communication systems with access to feedback, complex systems, distributed optimization and control.

    Host: Dr. Ashutosh Nayyar and the Ming Hsieh Institute

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Annie Yu

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  • CS Colloquium: Prof. Martin Robillard (McGill University) - Automating Support for Evolving Software Documentation

    Wed, Jan 28, 2015 @ 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Prof. Martin Robillard, McGill University

    Talk Title: Automating Support for Evolving Software Documentation

    Series: CS Colloquium

    Abstract: Technical documentation is essential for software developers to learn and use a technology. The combined documentation for current software technologies represents a massive collection of engineering knowledge, yet the quality of this information is threatened every day by the rapid pace of change of software components and applications.

    In this talk I will then present novel analysis techniques to
    partially automate the maintenance of software documentation. Analyzing software documentation requires linking unstructured text with specific software elements. This task is notoriously difficult due to the inherent ambiguity of unstructured natural language. One of our techniques identifies code-like terms in documents and links these terms to specific code elements in an API. Building on this work, we developed a second technique that automatically discovers documentation patterns, i.e., coherent sets of code elements that are documented together. We use this technique to report violations of documentation patterns as the code and the documentation evolves.

    The talk will conclude with a discussion of the implications of this work for software engineering and a presentation of further avenues for research on the representation and evolution of technical knowledge.

    Biography: Martin Robillard is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at McGill University. His current research focuses on problems related to API usability, information discovery, and knowledge management in software engineering. He recently served as the Program Co-Chair for the 20th ACM SIGSOFT International Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering and on the editorial board of the IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering and is currently on the editorial board of Empirical Software Engineering. He received his Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia and a B.Eng. from École Polytechnique de Montréal.

    Host: Nenad Medvidovic

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Assistant to CS chair

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  • Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series

    Wed, Jan 28, 2015 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM

    Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Margaret S. Wooldridge, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan

    Talk Title: Flavor Matters: The Compositional Effects of Fuels

    Series: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series

    Abstract: Efficient and clean energy remains a global challenge. Recent efforts focus on new fuel feed stocks, new methods to power the transportation and stationary power sectors, and improving efficiencies of power systems. Professor Wooldridge’s research includes improving combustion efficiencies and minimizing air toxic emissions through low temperature, high compression ratio methods; enabling the successful integration of biofuels into the ground and air transportation infrastructure; and controlling particle formation and growth in combustion systems to engineer advanced materials and minimize soot emissions.
    At the University of Michigan (UM), the Wooldridge research group has developed unique strategies to experimentally interrogate complex chemically reacting systems and to provide quantitative understanding of the fundamental mechanisms limiting energy solutions. This presentation will present recent results on the fundamental autoignition properties of different fuels and the implication on combustion performance. Although combustion chemistry has been studied extensively at high-temperatures, there are few quantitative data available at conditions directly relevant to advanced modes of engine operation, such as low temperature, highly dilute, boosted engines or turbines fired on syn-gas (H2, CO, etc.) mixtures. The UM rapid compression facility (RCF) is a unique device designed to isolate combustion chemistry at conditions directly relevant to advanced energy concepts. Results from the UM RCF have revealed new understanding of fuel chemistry and ignition behavior. The results highlight where our fundamental understanding is strong as well as the complexities and synergies of fuel blends. The fundamental ignition chemistry studies are complemented by internal combustion engine studies. Advanced engine operating modes produce lower emissions and higher indicated thermal efficiencies. Traditional and non-traditional fuel blends can augment or suppress the advantages of advanced engine operating modes. Time permitting, results from optically accessible research engines on ignition and combustion phenomena comparing reference gasoline and ethanol fuels will also be presented.

    Biography: Professor Margaret Wooldridge is an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She received her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University in 1995; her M.S.M.E. in 1991 from S.U. and her B.S. M.E. degree from the University of Illinois at Champagne/Urbana in 1989. Prof. Wooldridge’s research program spans diverse areas where high temperature chemically reacting systems are critical, including power and propulsion systems, fuel chemistry, and synthesis methods for advanced nanostructured materials. She is a 2013 recipient of the Department of Energy Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for exceptional contributions to the DOE mission to advance national, economic, and energy security of the U.S. She is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and the recipient of numerous honors including the ASME George Westinghouse Silver Medal, ASME Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal, an NSF Career Award, and the SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educator Award. Professor Wooldridge is the past Director of the Automotive Engineering Program at the University of Michigan and past co-director of the Global Automotive and Manufacturing Program.

    Host: Paul Ronney

    Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Valerie Childress

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  • Repeating EventShort Course: Six Sigma Black Belt

    Thu, Jan 29, 2015

    Executive Education

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: TBA,

    Abstract:
    Week 1: January 26-30, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 2: March 2-6, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 3: April 6-10, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Six Sigma Black Belt teaches you the advanced problem-solving skills you will need in order to measure a process, analyze the results, develop process improvements and quantify the resulting savings. Project assignments between sessions require you to apply what you’ve learned. This course is presented in three five-day sessions over a three-month period.

    Register Now

    Host: Professional Programs

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    View All Dates

    Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs

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  • The Business of Oil and Gas

    Thu, Jan 29, 2015 @ 05:00 PM - 06:30 PM

    Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Donald Paul, Executive Director, USC Energy Institute

    Talk Title: Oil Price Volatility: Implications for the Industry, Technology, and Careers

    Series: USC Energy Institute Seminar Series

    Host: USC Energy Institute

    More Information: USCEI 2015 Seminar Series I.pdf

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Juli Legat

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  • Repeating EventShort Course: Six Sigma Black Belt

    Fri, Jan 30, 2015

    Executive Education

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: TBA,

    Abstract:
    Week 1: January 26-30, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 2: March 2-6, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Week 3: April 6-10, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm

    Six Sigma Black Belt teaches you the advanced problem-solving skills you will need in order to measure a process, analyze the results, develop process improvements and quantify the resulting savings. Project assignments between sessions require you to apply what you’ve learned. This course is presented in three five-day sessions over a three-month period.

    Register Now

    Host: Professional Programs

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    View All Dates

    Contact: Viterbi Professional Programs

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  • W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Colloquium

    Fri, Jan 30, 2015 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM

    USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Urbashi Mitra, USC Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering

    Talk Title: What is Communication? From card Tricks to Bacteria, a Walk Through Problems in Communications

    Host: W.V.T. Rusch Engineering Honors Program

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Jeffrey Teng

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  • NL Seminar- Neuroimaging Genetics in the ENIGMA Consortium

    Fri, Jan 30, 2015 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM

    Information Sciences Institute

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Derrek Hibar, USC / Keck

    Talk Title: Neuroimaging Genetics in the ENIGMA Consortium

    Series: Natural Language Seminar

    Abstract: The highly complex structure of the human brain is strongly shaped by genetic influences. Subcortical brain regions act jointly with cortical areas to coordinate movement, memory, motivation, reinforcement and learning. To investigate how common genetic variants affect the structure of these brain regions, we conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of the volumes of seven subcortical regions and intracranial volume, derived from magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 30,717 individuals. By identifying genetic influences on brain structure, we can begin to map the genetic architecture underlying variability in human brain development and function, a process that will help elucidate the dysfunctions that lie at the core of neuropsychiatric disorders.


    Biography: Derrek Hibar is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology in the Keck School of Medicine of USC where he studies common genetic influences on brain structure and susceptibility to psychiatric disorders. He is currently coordinating one of the largest studies of brain structure to date as part of the ENIGMA Consortium (http://enigma.ini.usc.edu).

    Host: Nima Pourdamghani and Kevin Knight

    More Info: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/

    Location: Information Science Institute (ISI) - 6th Flr Conf Rm # 689, Marina Del Rey

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Peter Zamar

    Event Link: http://nlg.isi.edu/nl-seminar/

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  • Astani Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Fri, Jan 30, 2015 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Dennis Mileti ,

    Talk Title: TBA

    Abstract: TBA

    Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 101

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Evangeline Reyes

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